boats & birds
by Seeker of Blonds
Summary: A god always puts his goddess first. TsuStar, implied SoMa. M for... some not so subtle implications.


_boats & birds_

* * *

The hot water was enough to elicit a soft _hiss_, but that was the only hint of discomfort from the young weapon. She sighed, eyes fluttering closed, leaning back. Water cascaded over the contours of her face. It grazed and bit at the cuts along her arms and legs, but she could ignore that unpleasant sensation. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Such as the unwelcome tingling between her legs. Tsubaki groaned and shifted, careful of her sprained ankle, hand slipping down her thighs hesitantly. She blushed, hand stopping short, just above… her face darkened even further; she was almost touching _that place_. She couldn't believe herself, as her fingers began inching closer to their goal of their own accord. What on earth was the matter with her? She… she was being a _horn-dog, _just as the book had, um, _revealed_. This was so totally not okay.

Black Star's face lingered in her vision, and she sighed. This predicament was his fault. Insisting on carrying her, every dip and curve of his muscled arms accentuated as he hoisted her up, the muscles straining. Her eyes slid upward, broad shoulders, the harsh lines of his neck and jaw. A cheekbone, exposed temple. Every inch of him was chiseled and so deliciously _masculine. _

_Get a grip, Tsubaki! _she chastised herself, mentally shaking her head. The scent of him was still vivid in her memory, the feel of his strong chest, and _oh gods_ _what on earth was his hand doing. _It crept along her exposed thigh, sliding farther and farther as he adjusted his grip on her – a seemingly needless action, seeing as he showed no sign of exertion or even minor discomfort throughout the entire journey.

After Stein had assured the both of them that there was no severe damage, Black Star had grinned and scooped her up again right there on the spot. She had spluttered profusely, all too aware of Stein's raised eyebrow and slightly quirked lip, but he paid her no mind.

Instead of heading home, though, as she had thought, Black Star leapt to the roof of the school and tenderly set her down by the ledge. "Black Star?"

She could only stare as he nestled into a comfortable position beside her and groaned. "Man, Tsubaki, that was some day!"

"Black Star?" she repeated.

He fixed her with a stern look. "You should know by now, Tsubaki, gods don't need protection. Gods just need weapons to make them shine even better on stage, you know! So next time don't steal my spotlight, alright?"

Realization hit her. She had thought nothing of it at the time, transforming midair as he was flung through the air to block the follow-up attack that would have sliced him in half. She had landed wrong, twisting her ankle as she fell, and then Black Star's hand was in front of her face, commanding her to transform again, and the battle continued.

He was upset that she had to protect him? That he seemed less godly?

"I'm sorry," Tsubaki said quietly, looking away from him. "The stage is yours. I-I live to let you shine, Black Star."

An obnoxious snort. "Don't be stupid."

"What?" She looked up, startled.

"Stupid. That's stupid. Tsubaki lives for Tsubaki." He grinned. "She shines all on her own, even without a godly presence such as mine to be her sky! But…" His expression turned serious. "When she goes and gets herself hurt for her god, her light gets so bright that I'm worried she'll outshine me. And then it's not even. Gods and goddesses are equal, stupid!"

He leaned close, too close, and before Tsubaki could even squeak he pressed his lips fiercely against hers. His mouth moved greedily, demandingly, against hers, and she was surprised when she responded with an almost equal intensity. She leaned closer, and his arms carefully wrapped around her waist, and her hands were fumbling with his shirt, trying to pry the damn thing _off _of him because she had always been a horn-dog at heart and there was no point in denying it, and then he leaned back and grinned. "Now we're even!"

She gaped.

"And next time it'll be me protecting you! And no one will question my godliness, because a god always puts his goddess first! Hyahahaha!"

Before she could blink, she was in his arms again, and his hand was dangerously close to _that place _as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop. She tried to find some answer to her multitude of questions in his face, but his expression was blank, eyes focused on the path ahead of him.

Tsubaki gasped as her finger brushed that tender bit of flesh. She shuddered pleasantly, licked her lips.

Well, maybe she could end this night with at least _one _thing sorted out...

* * *

Towel wrapped firmly around her torso, Tsubaki stepped out into the hallway, and nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice to her left.

"Took you long enough, Tsu."

She fought vainly against the blush that crept up her neck, refusing to face him. "S-sorry, I was… lost in thought."

She snuck a quick peek. Oh, gods, he had already stripped to just his boxers. What. The. Fuck. Was he _trying _to make her implode?

Okay. Two could play at that game. Maybe.

Oh, come on, she was Tsubaki, officially the horniest member of Spartoi! She could do better than blush and stammer like a twit. What would Maka say at how easily she succumbed to this… this… temptation? Although, she and Soul had been acting rather strangely lately… lots of blushing, less Maka-chops… Hmm, she would have to look into that later.

"Tsubaki? You in there?"

Right. Focus. Maybe she was a scentless flower, but there were a whole bunch of other senses she could appeal to…

"Mm. Sorry." She gave him her prettiest smile, allowing the towel to slip just the tiniest bit and inwardly high-fiving herself at his blush. "I guess I'm just tired. It was a rough night, like you said."

"Yeah, it was," he said, and his face took on that somber look again. His eyes travelled over her arms, frown deepening as he took in each cut.

"But nothing that we couldn't handle," she said, nodding, letting the towel slip a few centimeters more. His gaze was almost immediately pulled away from her wounds, and he could feel the heat rushing to his face. Was she doing this on purpose? He swallowed, even though his mouth was dry. Only a few more centimeters, and he'd be seeing an awful lot of his partner… The thought excited him.

She suddenly pulled the towel tighter around herself, startling him out of his daze. "Ah! Sorry, I've been standing here blocking the doorway for the last five minutes. Why didn't you say something? Go ahead and shower, I'll go get dressed and make dinner." She brushed past him, her still damp skin sliding along his bare chest and legs as she moved, and he turned to watch the sway of her hips and that was when it hit him that she was _walking away from her god_.

"Oi! Tsubaki!"

"Yes?" She turned, wearing her usual pleasant smile. It faltered only slightly as he advanced on her, eyes predatory, but as his hands came to rest on her shoulders, the heat searing her sensitive skin, the smile slipped away at the same time as her towel, silently hitting the floor, and she gasped as he pressed her against the wall.

"I saw you," he whispered in her ear, and she squeaked. "I think I've finally perfected my skills, huh?" He chuckled as she stammered.

"That, and… well, I was just checking on my goddess."

She met his gaze, marveling at how tall he'd gotten in such a short time, and smiled sadly at the guilt in his face. Her forehead fell against his, and she almost forgot about their compromising position. She just had to make him understand this, or she feared they would never get farther than where they were right now and she didn't think she could live with that.

"Black Star. I'll always be there for you, just like you will for me. We shine much brighter when we're together, than when one of us tries to take all responsibility for the other. That's why we're _partners_." She thought of the scar bisecting her close friend's chest, of the constant pain her best friend had endured almost entirely on her own, of the pain they both continued to endure to be together and to worry about one another, and everything was understood.

There were no words, only her and her partner's silent understanding.

"More than that," he grunted finally, gently drawing her out of her musings, looking directly into her eyes. "You're my goddess."

She blushed. "Yes."

Her lips captured his, and she was in his arms again, and he was striding to their shared bedroom and slamming the door behind him, their lips still locked firmly together.

Tsubaki was definitely a horn-dog, but luckily Black Star had the stamina of a god.

Needless to say, dinner was forgotten.

* * *

.

.

blargh I am so irresponsible.

I will finish l&f I swear. By the way this was inspired by a song, and it is a lovely song by Gregory and The Hawk called Boats & Birds (obviously). Also I need to stop naming things _ & _ jeez I'm a failure.

Welp thanks for reading, review and stuff.


End file.
